A man from Washington, DC, who pretended to be a federal agent to get $800,000 worth of real estate has decided to work with the government.
The Department of Justice said Monday that Arian Taherzadeh, who is 40 years old, pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy charge as well as local charges of illegal possession of a large-capacity ammunition feeding device and voyeurism.
Taherzadeh and Haider Sher-Ali, 35, who is also on trial, set up a fake secret police agency called the United States Special Police and made fake police IDs.
Officials say he also stocked up on tactical gear, weapons, ammunition, and surveillance gear.
Prosecutors say that between 2018 and this spring, Taherzadeh lied about being a former Army Ranger, US Marshal, and Homeland Security agent. He did this as part of a plan to get three apartment complex owners to give him free apartments and parking spots for his fake agency.
Prosecutors say that Taherzadeh then gave weapons and stolen property to Secret Service agents "because it strengthened their relationship and helped him act like a federal law enforcement officer."
The DOJ says that two Secret Service agents took free apartments worth almost $90,000 for a year. Because of the investigation, four agents were put on leave.
Prosecutors say that one of the agents who was tricked was part of first lady Jill Biden's security team. Agents who were supposed to protect Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden were also said to be involved.
Officials say that Taherzadeh also used his surveillance equipment to secretly "record women doing sexual things" and then gave the footage to other people.
The elaborate lie was found out when Taherzadeh told postal inspectors who were looking into an attack on a mail carrier at his apartment complex in April that he was a USSP agent, the feds said.
The admitted con artist had not yet been given a date for sentencing. Sher-Ali has said that he is not guilty in this case.
